Paint can holder and brush wiper



April 3, 1951 A. G. SAWYER ET AL 2,547,096

PAINT CAN HOLDER AND BRUSH WIPER Filed May 21, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet lAl/omeys.

April 3, 1951 A. G. SAWYER ET AL PAINT CAN HOLDER AND BRUSH WIPER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1949 S 8 m a .4 rm n f f 0 0 ww mnwW. @M

Patented Apr. 3, 1951 PAINT CAN HOLDER AND BRUSH WIPER Allan G. Sawyer,Brooklyn, and Joseph W. Burgess, City Island, N. Y.; said Burgessassignor to said Sawyer Application May 21, 1949, Serial No. 94,686

2 Claims.

This invention relates to can holders, more particularly to a combinedholder or handle and brush wiper for use with cans for paint and likematerials.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved holderadapted for use with standard size cans of the friction top type, whichhave an inwardly extending grooved flange with a circular openingsecured to the top edge of the can.

Cans for paint, lacquer, varnish and similar materials in the smallersizes which are not too heavy to be continuously held in the hand duringwork are, for the most part, supplied in standard sizes, such as pintsand quarts, so that a holder such as that described below, having fixeddimensions and made in a few standard sizes, will fit most of such cans.

The device of the invention consists of a generally oblong member thelength of which approximately corresponds to the inside diameter of thecan and the width of which is narrower than the top opening of the can,a handle which is preferably arranged to extend downwardly outside thecan and spaced therefrom, and means rigidly connecting the oblong memberwith the handle so that the can is supported by gravity on said member.

The advantages, simplicity and utility, of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description of the present preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a device of the invention in use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective illustrating the first step in engaging thedevice with a can;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a canwith the holder in placeready for use;

' 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing the holder in position on a can;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a modified form of holder and brush wiper, the topof the can being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 7 is a detailed section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows in perspective a further modification formed from stampedsheet metal;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a detailed section taken on the line Il--It of Fig. 8.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4. and 5, the combined holder and brush wipercomprises a supporting member I ll, generally oblong in shape, and inthis embodiment consisting of a wire loop having straight parallellonger sides II and I2 continuous with outwardly curved shorter sides I4and I5, the latter lying on the circumference of a circle which isslightly smaller than the inner diameter of the can I6. One end of thewire of member It continues from the left hand endof the side I5, beingbent inwardly at I8, upwardly at I9, and outwardly at .20 around andover the grooved flange ll of the can. The other end of the wire,extending from the side I I, is bent back at an angle to side IIfollowing the contour of the can for a short distance, as shown at 2|,and then inwardly at 22, upwardly at 23 and outwardly at 2 5. The endsof the two wires beyond the portions 2!) and 24 are then preferablydoubled back on themselves and driven into holes in a handle 25, whichmay be of wood, plastic or any other suitable material. Preferably thoseportions of the wire which pass over the edge 26 of the can rest thereonwhen thedevice is in place, thereby adding rigidity, but this it notessential, particularly if the wire is sufficiently stiff. Instead ofusing a separate handle, the wire of which member If] is made might beformed into a handle.

The straight longer sides II, I2 of the oblong loop It are preferablysubstantially parallel and spacedinwardly from the circumference of thecircle on which the sides M, I5 lie, so as to provide brush wipingsurfaces which are'not much shorterthan the diameter of the topopeningjn the can. Being straight, they are much better for wiping thanis the edge of the. can and excess paint falls into the can instead ofinto the groove. It has been found desirable to position the handle 25at an angle to the sides II, I2, as best shown in Fig. 4, so that when apaint can is supported by the holder as shown in Fig. 1, these sides areconveniently positioned for wiping, relative to the normal position of abrush as heldby a painter.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the length of handle 25 is preferably suchthat it terminates slightly above a plane passing through the bottom ofa can so that the can may be placed on a flat surface without disturbingthe arrangement of the holder. If desired, the handle may be of suchlength as to rest on such a plane, as indicated at 25c, adding to thestability of the assembled structure.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the attachment of the holding device to acan is a matter of the utmost simplicity. Grasping the handle 25, theloop portion I is merely inserted through the open top of the can asshown in Fig. 2, the corner of the supporting member nearest. thehandle, in the vicinity of portion 2|, is engaged under the flange I1and the handle lowered, bringing the loop upwardly into engagement withthe under side of the flange. Upon release of the can, the holder beingheld in the hand, the can is supported by gravity on those portions ofthe loop which underlie flange H. It will be noted "that no fasteningelements or moving parts of any kind are required since the canrests onthe holder of its own weight and that it cannot possibly be detachedunless the handle is first raised relative to the can and the looplowered into the can sufficiently to disengage the corner next to thehandle from the flange ll. Such disengagement requires a positivemovement of the handle to move the loop downwardly into the can so thateven if the handle is inadvertently raised, the can 'will continue tohang on the wire portion 2! and 'the 'adjacent end of the side '15.

"It will be noted that the corner of the loop adjacent the handle isleft open, in the embodiment just described, which providesfor a certainamount of yield of the looped member H) if it is found to fit tootightly in email by reasonof damage to a can or because the can isslightly un- 'ders'ize. Preferably the loop .I E3 is slightly shorterthan the innerdiam'eter ofithe can soithat there is no frictionalengagement of the loop with the can as 'it is moved into holdingposition.

Referring to Figs. '6 and '7, an embodiment similar to that 'justdescribed is shown, the differences being .as follows: Side I2a isflattened out as shown .at 12:12 so as to provide a'relatively sharpedge 120 over which to wipe the brush.

' This flattening may be of such an extent as to include all of thatportion oflthe side which underlies the opening in the top of the can.The side Ha may be similarly flattened if desired. The end formation ofthe loop 18a where it approaches the handle a is slightly different thanthat shown in .Fig. 4, in that the 'end of the side I l'a'is bent backon itself more sharply, as shown at 32!, and thence upwardly andoutwardly to the handle, and the side 1541 is continued past this bendunderneath the portion 24a and thence .up wardly and outwardly to .thehandle at 29a.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9 .and 10, themodified form of the invention there.shown may be made .of two .parts formed from stamped sheet metal. Onevof these parts is the generally oblong closed loop 40 having straightsides M and 42 .and outwardly curved ends 44 and 45. To add strength andrigidity, this member may be formed. with a circumferential downwardlyturned flange-A6. A brush may be wiped against the inner edges of thesides 4|, 42 which are relatively sharp. A handle '48, likewise formedof sheet metal, is pro- 'vided at its top with a horizontal portion 49which is of suflicient length to extend inwardly over the flange of thecan and is then bent downwardly at 50' and inwardly at 5| where it maybe fastened to the member 40 by any suitable means, such as spotwelding, rivets or the like, indicated at 52.

The modified forms shown in Figs. 6 and 8 operate in precisely the samemanner as that shown in Fig. 4, with the exception that the structure ofFig. 8,'-being, rigid, "cannot accommodate itself to cans of a smallereffective size than that for which it is designed.

It being evident that many changes in the details of construction, sizeand conformation may be made in the embodiments specifically describedabove, it is to be understood that they are purely illustrative and thatthe invention is to be construed broadly within the purview of theclaims.

What is claimed is: v

1. A combined holde and brush wiper for supporting engagement with cansfor paint and the like of the type having a circular top openingsurrounded by an inwardly extending flange, comprising: "an oblong wireloop lying in a plane and formed from a continuous length of wire, theopposed shorter sides of said loop lying substantially on thecircumference of a circle and the longer opposed sides being straightand displaced inwardly a substantial distance from said circumference,the ends of the wire forming said loop, adjacent one corner thereof,being bent inwardly, upwardly and outwardly, land a handle attached tosaid ends and extending downwardly at an angle to the plane of the loop,said loop being adapted for insertion through the opening in said canand for engagement with the underside of said flange whereby the ean issupported on the opposite shorter ends of said loop.

2. A combined holderand brush wiper for supporting engagement with cansfor paint and the like of the type having a circular top openingsurrounded by an inwardly extending flange, comprising: an oblong 'loopformed of rigid material, the corners of said loop'lying substantiallyon the circumference of a circle and the longer opposed sides "beingdisplaced inwardly a substantial distance from said circumference, saidloop carrying, adjacent one corner "thereof, a member which is bentinwardly, upwardly and outwardly, and a handle attached to said memberand extending outwardly of the area enclosed by said-loop, said'loopbeing adapted for insertion through the opening in said can and forengagement with the underside of said flange whereby the can issupported on said'loop.

ALLAN G. 'SAWYER. JOSEPH W. BURGESS.

nermtmicas CIEEEE D The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Soens Nov. 15,1959

